POTTERVILLE - Potterville City Manager Wanda Darrow submitted her resignation Tuesday afternoon, hours before the City Council was scheduled to determine whether she could keep her job. Even so, council members voted Tuesday evening to fire her "with cause."

The unanimous vote of the City Council came on the heels of an investigation by city attorneys into whether Darrow broke the law, wrongfully exercised her authority as manager, neglected her duties and violated the city's charter.

Darrow, suspended since July 19, didn't attend Tuesday's meeting. She could not immediately be reached for comment. She made $81,954 a year.

An investigation into those issues, outlined by City Attorney Mike Homier in a 15-page report, show 50 unauthorized city payments, dating back to March, made to two of Wanda Darrow’s family members — her husband, James Darrow, her son James “Eddie” Darrow III, — and two “apparent friends” of her son's.

The more than $24,000, most of which came from bond proceeds received by the city from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural development program, were largely for “contract labor,” according to notes written on the city checks.

Both Darrow and Potterville councilman Doug Hartson’s signatures were on several of the checks, according to the report.

Hartson said Tuesday at the meeting that his signature was forged.

"As of the date of the report, it is unclear whether the City Manager signed the checks or whether her signature was forged," according to the report.

According to the report, (read the report at the bottom of this story) city employees and officials questioned Darrow about the checks as early as May and claim she told them they were "bank errors."

Darrow's attorney Linda Widener told city officials her client didn't sign her name to most of the checks outlined in the investigative report.

After learning of the unauthorized checks, Widener said Darrow attempted to replace the money missing from city accounts and confronted her son.

Between July 18 – the day before Darrow was suspended – and July 23, several deposits were made into city accounts by someone totaling $21,628, Homier said. Although the report doesn't identify who deposited the money, Wanda Darrow's attorney said Tuesday Darrow herself made the deposits.

An estimated $2,463 is still missing, Homier said Tuesday.

“Wanda did what she thought was in the best interests of the city to get things paid back as soon as possible,” she said.

The findings also suggest Darrow may have known, or should have known, her son James stole equipment from the city. The thefts were reported to the Michigan State Police.

Darrow recovered some of the stolen items from area pawn shops during the MSP investigation, according to the report.

"It does not appear that the City Manager reported the thefts, or her redemption of some of the stolen items, to City Council," according to the report.

Michigan State Police Detective First Lieutenant Thomas DeClercq said there in an ongoing investigation into allegations of theft of city property by Darrow's son James.

DeClercq said during that investigation police "became aware of potential criminal wrongdoing by Wanda Darrow relative to her son Eddie's investigation."

The State Police investigation could be completed within the next few weeks, DeClercq said.

Widener read more than a dozen letters from area residents in support of Darrow.

City Council members weren't swayed.

"The people of this city have been lied to," Potterville Mayor Bruce Kring said.

Councilwoman Rebeckajo Lewis said the vote to fire Darrow was what is best for the city.

"Wanda had multiple opportunities to come to us with this," she said, before the vote. "She chose to hide it from us, to lie to us, again and again and again. I'm sorry. My compassion's gone at this point."

Former Department of Public Works employee Brad Boyce is serving as interim city manager. He was appointed late last month.